In many various types of operations, it is desired to provide a hole through bone and/or soft tissue. Suturing may also be involved in such operations as when cartilage or other soft tissue is pulled away from associated bone. Thus, after holes are drilled in the soft tissue and bone, sutures are passed through the holes and used to hold the soft tissue or cartilage to the bone during healing.
Various drilling apparatus has been disclosed in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,423 (Barber) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,738 (Trott), rotary surgical tools used with arthroscopes and the like includes suitable drill bits for drilling holes.
Other drilling apparatuses of general interest and associated drilling bits are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,365,987 (Hallerdahl); 195,181 (Strohm); 3,923,413 (Giles); 3,006,223 (Broussard); 1,630,239 (Binkley, et al) and 1,636,636 (Humble).
There has also been disclosed in the prior art an angle drill attachment for a drill apparatus which is particularly adapted for use during a Bankart Operation. The drill bit provided with the angle drill attachment includes a hole at the end of the drill adjacent the cutting tip. Thus, after the hole is drilled to the bone, a suture can be threaded through this hole and pulled back through the bone as the drill bit is withdrawn from the bone.